Fears jetty project may kill 100 birds

AN environmental group says the Defence Department could kill at least 100 native birds if it does not delay restoration of the Point Wilson jetty.

The Defence project will reinstate the jetty as an explosive ordnance importation facility.

The Australian Conservation Foundation fears 100 Australasian gannet chicks, born over the summer, “will not survive” the redevelopment despite Defence’s plan to relocate the chicks.

A later-than-usual breeding season has resulted in the birds nesting on the jetty, unable to fly, with calls for Defence to hold off on construction for up to eight weeks.

Environmental investigator Kim Garratt said the delay would be “the simplest and most sensible solution” while avoiding any necessity for a permit.

“We note that eminent scientists from the Australian Seabird Group, a special interest group from Birdlife Australia, are confident that Defence’s proposal will result in breeding failure and the deaths of the nestlings by starvation, drowning or hypothermia,” Ms Garratt said.

Defence has applied for a permit that would allow contractors to move the gannet chicks 50m to a mooring.

In its opposing submission, the ACF said it was “highly likely to result in the preventable death of all nestlings”.

“We fear the gannet parents will return with food to the location where they last saw their chicks and will not know to look elsewhere, so the chicks will starve,” Ms Garratt said. “The obvious solution is for Defence to leave the platform where it is until the birds can fly, which will probably only be another month or two.”

Defence says delaying the project by even thee months could cost an estimated $8m and will fail to meet the expected first EO shipment date.

A Defence spokeswoman said all reasonable steps would be taken to maximise the chance of successfully relocating the chicks.

The permit is currently up for consultation until March 14 with the Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment to make the final decision.